Follow You in the Dark
by ohtobeloved
Summary: He's gone, Lily. No explanation at all... After the mysterious death of her father, Lily Evans is an orphan. On her sixteenth birthday, a mysterious Professor whisks her off to a school called Hogwarts. She is thrown into a world of danger, adventure, and seduction. M/F, Lily Evans, Severus Snape, rated M for later chapters


Author note: This plot has been in my head for months, just begging to be told. Snape is one of my favorite characters and I really enjoy writing his story! I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did enjoy it, please leave a review! Thanks!

 _He's gone, Lily. No explanation at all..._

Lily Evans rolled onto her side and hugged her pillow tighter to her chest. It was the nightmare again, and it always started the same way. Lily at the end of a long hallway, screaming at a closed door she was so sure her father had just gone through. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her fingers stretched toward the faded wood of the door. _Daddy! Don't you remember me? Where are you?!_

"Daddy!"

Lily's eyes opened. There wasn't a long hallway with a door at all. She sat up in bed and realized the wetness in her eyes. She hastily wiped it away and tried to gain composure by murmuring familiar objects in the room to herself. "Desk. Chair. Posters. Window. Petunia."

"Would you shut up?" Petunia groggily rolled over in bed. "I'm so sick of your obsessive compulsive night routines."

Lily pulled her knees to her chest. "I can't help it."

"Get a shrink and move on. Some of us are trying to sleep." Petunia covered her head hastily with a pillow while making sure to grumble her discontent toward Lily.

Petunia was Lily's half-sister; the product of her father's affair and the apple of her mother's eye. Since the mysterious death of her father, Petunia was the only visual representation of Desmond Evans that Cassandra left. Lily seemed to have the opposite effect on Cassandra, forever an emotional eyesore and thus treated as such.

Petunia was the spitting image of their father, with his dark hair, unusual walnut colored eyes and the signature dimpled chin. Her skin was as smooth as a pitcher of cream and everything about her screamed radiant.

Lily was a bundle of awkwardness and nerves, walking in a straight line was all she could ask out of life. She was fortunate enough to receive her mother's bright red hair and deep green eyes. As a child, she regretted this for two reasons; she was mercilessly teased about it and there was a part of her that hated the constant physical reminder of her mother's passing.

Cancer overtook Harmony Evans very quickly. It started in her liver, quickly settled in her lymph-nodes and eventually in her bones. Lily didn't remember much about her mother, only what her father told her when he was feeling particularly sensitive. Now that she was older, Lily was also sure of another thing. It wasn't just the cancer that killed her mother, it was the prolonged affair her father had with Cassandra. She seemed to stop caring about everything, and her will to live seemed to diminish.

Lily pulled off her covers placed her feet on the cold floor. The feeling grounded her and she immediately grew more calm. She ran her fingers through her hair and exhaled softly, as not to wake Petunia. She knew she'd get an earful if she woke her up for a second time. Padding lightly to the bathroom, she closed the door behind her and splashed cool water on her face.

"You'll get through this." She told herself. "Eventually you'll be able to move out and have these nightmares in peace." Her lips curved in a smile and she had to chuckle at the irony despite herself.

"Cherry and I are going to the mall tonight." Petunia looked at her mother expectantly. "The formal is coming up and I just LOVE this new dress I saw."

Lily suppressed a grunt and took a long sip of juice. Apart from shouting _HINT HINT_ at the top of her lungs and pointing at Cassandra's wallet, she couldn't have made this more obvious. Petunia was in hot pursuit of making this seem like it was her mother's idea. Lily watched them with interest. She knew exactly which dress Petunia was drooling over, and the price tag would pay off the car Lily'd been eyeing and gas for a whole year.

Cassandra stirred her spoon in her oatmeal and looked at her precious daughter. "I suppose for something as special as that, you should wear something nice."

Lily watched Cassandra get up and go to her wallet, pull out the platinum gold card, and hand it to Petunia without so much as a second glance. The look Cassandra gave her reminded Lily to look away in a hurry.

"Didn't your mother ever splurge on you?" She asked, a defensive tone in her voice.

 _Not like that._ She thought, but kept it to herself. "No." Lily tucked her red hair behind her ear and kept her tone even. "My parents couldn't really afford to spend that much money on me on a whim."

Cassandra's face visibly tightened and Lilly immediately regretted what she'd said. "It's just that my parents didn't really believe in spending money on things like fancy dresses for one night." She was backpedaling and she knew it. She also realized that she was digging herself into an even bigger hole.

"Desmond was never able to work because he was busy trying to appease your mother." Cassandra said, folding a pile of dishtowels. "I work more hours to give my daughter the things she needs."

Ouch. Lily always knew she wouldn't be as loved by Cassandra as Petunia was, but that didn't stop her from holding on to hope that Cassandra may someday grow fond of her. Lily gathered her dishes and walked to the sink, rinsing them and stacking them in the dishwasher as Petunia and Cassandra fiddled about. Lily was waiting to see if either of them noticed the calendar.

In just twenty three minutes, Lily would turn sixteen.

Times like this made her miss her parents. She missed her mother, with her love of birthdays and how important she made the person feel. Lily remembered coming home from school and showered with balloons and streamers, she was allowed to eat her cake before dinner, and she got to choose the evening show they'd watch on television. It was so easy back then, so much simpler than it was now. She felt the lump in her throat rise and she slipped out the front door before Cassandra and Petunia could see her expression.

As she made her way down the sidewalk, she realized they were nothing but ghosts, Both her parents were gone, and she had to somehow put together a life for herself. Lily looked down at her watch and just caught the hand twisting to nine thirty seven.

She was officially sixteen years old.

A loud screech came from a distance. Lily whirled around to find the source but a flying object in the sky stopped her. It was a beautiful owl and it was coming straight for her. She couldn't keep her eyes off it as the creature gracefully landed right at her feet with a letter in its beak. It twittered and cocked its head toward her as if to say _well here - take it._

Lily stretched hand toward the bird and grasped the letter. The owl let go satisfactorily, ruffled its feathers, let out a short hoot, then lifted itself into the sky. Lily's eyes drifted confusedly between the owl and the envelope in her hands. It was expensive stationary, she could tell right away. The paper was thick and felt solid in her. It was indeed addressed to her, with the return label titled _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_.

She turned the letter over in her hands and pressed her finger against the wax emblem sealing the letter shut. It was a shield divided into four sections, each containing some sort of animal. Lily slipped her finger under the seal and pulled out a crisp piece of parchment. Her eyes continued to grow wider as she read.

 _Dear Lily Evans,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A, escort from the school will arrive on the thirty-first of August to escort you on the journey. Enclosed, you will find a list of items required at Hogwarts. When your escort arrives, they will take you to acquire said supplies._

 _Term begins on the first of September. I await word should you choose to attend._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Professor Minerva McGonagall_

Lily stared at the bottom of the letter. _What was going on?_ She looked around the perimeter of the yard and expected to see Petunia giggling wildly behind the greenery. Was this some kind of joke they decided to pull on her? _Let's be honest_ , she told herself, they would never spend money to have an owl come to their house, even if it was to prank her.

She finally rose to her feet and went inside, still looking over the letter with a mixture of confusion and excitement.

"What's that?" Petunia noticed the letter in Lily's hands right away. "Is that something for me?"

"It's for me," Lily said quietly.

Petunia snatched the letter from Lily and looked it over. She smiled as she read and burst into malicious laughter. "I need to know who did this so I can send them flowers. That is hilarious! Mom! Look at this letter Lily got!"

Cassandra came into the room and took the letter from Petunia. Lily bit her lip with embarrassment, wishing she would've hidden the letter. Lily expected Cassandra's expression to read much like Petunia's, but she was surprised when it turned into one of hesitation and even fear.

"Who gave this to you?" Cassandra demanded.

Lily was caught utterly off-guard. She stammered and Cassandra put her hands forcefully on her shoulders. "Who gave this to you?" She shouted again

Lily could feel the warmth of her breath on her face. "An owl!" She said, "an owl flew up to me and had the letter in its beak! When I took it, the owl just flew off! I don't know who sent the owl, I didn't see anyone!"

Cassandra pulled away from her and Lily followed. "What's going on? You're acting like you know something I don't."

"I'm not going to let another person from that family ruin it for me. Your father warned me about this," she murmured the last bit and Lily's interest peaked.

"My father? What about him? Cassandra, tell me!"

"This letter is real." Cassandra thrust it at her chest.

Lily's mouth fell open. "You can't be serious."

Cassandra took her by the arm and walked her over to the kitchen table. "Before your father died, he came to me with a letter. He said there was something I'd need to tell you when you turned sixteen. I was hoping it wouldn't come, but apparently I was wrong."

"What did the letter say?" Lily found herself leaning toward Cassandra imploringly. She hadn't heard Cassandra discuss her father in years. Were her father and the owl connected? Why hadn't her mother said anything when she was alive? Perhaps she didn't know either.

Cassandra silently got up and disappeared into her bedroom. Lily leaned back in the chair and tried to process what she'd heard. Was this really happening? She felt like the odd one out since she came to move with Cassandra and Petunia. She thought it was her imagination, but maybe it was true?

Casandra returned with a bent envelope in her hand. Lily's stomach turned over and the only thing she could focus on was that letter in Cassandra's hand. "The mystery is how your father died. I don't know the logistics of it, but it wasn't a heart attack. The hospital is covering for something and I've spent years trying to find out."

She sat down and handed her the letter. "He requested I give it to you. I'm not allowed to read it." She added bitterly.

Lily glanced up from the letter and saw the expression on Cassandra's face and suddenly everything clicked into place. Why Cassandra had been so distant and unkind to her, why she never felt like a member of the family, and why the expression on Cassandra's face always looked so dark when she looked at her. After all these years, Cassandra had been jealous of her. Locked away was a letter that was only between Lily and her father and that killed Cassandra.

"You never read it?"

"It wasn't mine to read." She said shortly.

Even though Cassandra let her jealousy and insecurities sabotage a relationship with Lily, the fact that she didn't read the letter was a huge nod toward her character. Lily wanted to thank her for not reading it, but she knew it wasn't a good idea. Cassandra took Lily in when her mother died because of her father and only her father. To ask any more of her would be too much.

Cassandra pushed in her chair in and slipped from the kitchen.

Lily watched her go and looked back at the letter, her heart thudding against her chest so loudly she was sure Cassandra heard it. She finally pulled the letter from the envelope and began to read.

 _My Lily,_

 _Happy sixteenth birthday, sweetheart. As I watch you sleeping in the bed next to me, it's hard for me to fathom you growing older than this. For you, time is standing still. I will always be your hero, you'll always feel tall when I lift you onto my shoulders, and I'll always be able to protect you from everything. You are sleeping so peacefully and for you, all is right in the world. If there was a way for me to pause time and keep you in this place of security, I would in a second._

 _If you are reading this letter, you have been accepted into Hogwarts. Congratulations, I am so proud of you and know you will do well. There are many things you'll need to learn, honey. I wish I was there to teach you but sometimes the circumstances in life prevent us from doing so. Please know that I love you so much and I wish things would have turned out differently._

 _Don't be afraid to accept this incredible opportunity Lily. I was afraid when I was accepted too, however I soon found that Hogwarts was my home, and I know you will as well._

 _Love, Dad_

Lily put the letter on the table and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Seeing her father's slanted, condensed writing brought her back to a time when she was seven.

 _It was a rainy day and her father was in his office, writing something in a thick leather-bound journal. Lily rested her small hand on her father's arm and peered on her tiptoes to sneak a peek. Her father touched her nose with his finger and closed the book._

" _Curiosity killed the cat, you know." He chided._

 _Lily grinned up at him, her two front teeth missing. "I'll be the first cat to make it to a hundred and one."_

 _To her, that seemed really old._

 _Her father laughed and it filled the room with such a warmth that Lily wanted to dance in it. He pulled her onto his lap and kissed her hair. "I have no doubt you will, Lilypad."_

She had even more questions than before. How did her father know about this school called Hogwarts? What was it for? She didn't find herself to be extraordinary in any case, so what could they possibly want with her? She tried to think back to her father but she could hardly remember anything about him as a person, he was just Dad. She remembered bits and pieces, and half of those she wasn't sure were her own memories or those given to her by others.

She pulled her computer onto her lap and typed _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_. With a deep breath, she pushed enter. Lily exhaled when 'no search results found' popped onto her screen. She leaned back against the headboard and stared at the screen as if results would appear if she stared at in long enough. She suddenly felt an emotion toward her father she hadn't in quite some time – anger.

He expected her to do these extraordinary things but no tools to help get her there. There were endless secrets her father hid from her. Did her mother know any of these things? If she did, why was it such a secret? The anger bubbled to the surface. She knew better than to react in the moment and folded her letter and hid it in the deepest pocket of her dresser drawer. Now what? _Looks like you did it this time Dad. You actually stumped me._

A few weeks had past and Lily still had no idea what to do about the mysterious letter she'd received. Cassandra and Petunia's relationship towards her was colder than ever, and her nightmares were getting worse. Not only were they filled with dark, long hallways, but now shrieking owls and faceless wizards attacked her dreams.

"Lily!" Cassandra called from downstairs. "Get down here now!"

Lily jumped from her bed and quickly jogged down the stairs. Cassandra was looking at her from the door with a perplexed expression she'd never seen on her face. "There is a gentleman asking for you."

She turned in confusion and noticed a tall man wearing a long cloak that billowed at his feet in the breeze. He did not look like anyone she'd ever seen before and it seemed to Lily that he felt the same way about her. His dark eyes lingered on her for a second longer than they should have.

"Miss Evans," he said, his voice was slow and smooth as velvet. "I am here in regards to the letter sent to you by owl on August ninth. As the letter stated, should you choose to attend, I am to collect you."

"Collect me?" Lily tried to keep her voice clear of emotion as she spoke to him. She was confused, but for some reason, she felt as though he was telling the truth. She took a step forward. "What's your name?"

His authoritative expression fell for a millisecond. "Professor Severus Snape. I instruct Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"I think you should leave" Cassandra's harsh tone made Lily snap her attention to her. The intrigue of this unannounced stranger made her forget she was still beside her. "It's okay-" Lily began.

"How do you know he isn't just some psycho here to kidnap and rape you, Lily?" Cassandra blurted. "He might know the name of that school but that doesn't mean anything. There is no proof here that he is who he says he is. None at all."

Was Cassandra actually trying to defend her? This day was getting stranger by the second. She'd been watching the professor's face as Cassandra went on, and he slightly flinched at the words 'kidnap' and 'rape' yet never lost his composure. "You are correct," he told her, "however the Headmaster suspected your hesitations." He pulled a small envelope from his pocket and placed it on the palm of his hand.

It was still for a moment before it began to move on its own accord. It popped off his hand and manipulated itself into a face that rose into the air. Lily's eyes widened and she remained in her place. Cassandra screeched.

"I, Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," the voice began, "have given Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Severus Snape authority to collect Miss Lily Evans at her place of residence on the thirty-first of August to begin her magical education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Should you, Cassandra Welsh, as her guardian have any questions, please do send an owl. I will provide one to you should this occur. Thank you for your cooperation and I look forward to meeting you, Miss Evans."

Just as quickly as it appeared, the face vanished and the envelope gently descended onto Severus Snape's palm once more.

Lily's mouth fell open in mystified shock. "How did you do that?" She whispered in astonishment. "I didn't even see any strings – is it animatronic?"

"Have you no sense?" Severus Snape looked at her. "School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? It is magic of course. Now, if you plan on attending this term, we mustn't waste more time. Gather your things and we shall meet in fifteen minutes time."

"But-" Lily's mind was moving to a million different places as once. "I have so many questions!"

Snape didn't seem like a particularly warm man, and his patience was wearing thin. "You either want to come or you do not. If you are not outside in fifteen minutes, I will be leaving without you. I suggest you make your decision with haste."

He turned on his heel and closed the front door hard behind him.

Lily gave a nervous look toward Cassandra, who looked away from her. With that simple gesture, Lily had never felt more alone and scared in her life. Tears sprang to her eyes. Not from sadness, but for the complete loss of what to do. "Cassandra..." she murmured, voice thick with emotion, "what should I do?"

"This is not my decision to make." Cassandra replied, her back stiffening. "If you hate it here so much then maybe you should go. Petunia and I will be just fine without you."

These words didn't come as a shock to Lily, she'd heard them before, but with the events that had just unfolded, she'd hoped for a little warmer of response. She then realized that Cassandra was making the decision for her. Lily had no other choice but trust this strange wizard. There was no warmth or love in Cassandra or Petunia's heart for Lily. They just kept her with them out of duty for her deceased father.

She hurried up the stairs and into the bedroom. She grabbed a few articles of clothing, her journal, photograph of her parents, both the letter from her father and from Hogwarts, along with the money she'd been saving and shoved them in her small red backpack. Lily worked as fast as she could, knowing that she'd be out of luck if the wizard departed.

She hurried down the stairs and paused for a moment. Cassandra and Petunia were sitting next to each other on the sofa, watching her. Lily didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything. She gave them both a final glance and slipped out the door.

Lily was relieved to find Severus Snape still waiting for her. "I see you've made your choice."

"Y-yes." She said hoarsely. "I didn't have much of one."

"As do most." He replied. "Follow me." He took off quickly and Lily tried her best to keep up. He walked with a confidence, like he'd been here many times and knew exactly where he was going. Lily had never seen him in the neighborhood in her life.

He took her to a break between houses and abruptly stopped. Lily almost ran right into him. Without saying a word, he stuck out his arm. "Take my arm."

"What?"

" _Take my arm_ , Miss Evans." He said again, louder. "Hold tightly and close your eyes."

Lily shakily reached out and grasped tightly to his forearm and squeezed her eyes closed. The second she got hold of him, she had a sickening sensation of being run over by a freight train. Her body was being squeezed so tightly she was sure she'd explode. Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, the feeling stopped at once. She could tell by the scent in the air and bustle around her, they were no longer in the neighborhood.

She exhaled, and slowly opened her eyes.


End file.
